The present invention relates to a device for taking samples of endometrium, or curette, composed of at least one scraper element of elongated form comprising at least one blade, this scraper element being fixed at the end of a rod sliding in a tube inside which said scraper element may be introduced by pulling the rod in the tube.
In this device, the scraper element is reintroduced into the tube, after use, by pulling on the rod, so that the device may be removed from the body without contaminating the sample taken.
In known devices of this type (U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,635,222 and 3,491,747), the scraper element comprises teeth which, when said scraper element is reintroduced into the tube, scrape the wall from which a sample of endometrium is to be taken.
In these known devices, the teeth bend during the sampling operation and consequently they scrape the wall from which the sample must be taken badly, with the result that only a small sample is obtained.